Doctors encourage us to get our five fruit and veg a day - but one mother has to be incredibly careful which ones she eats... because the wrong choice could kill her.

Charlotte Jefferson, 25, has a rare condition called salicylate sensitivity, which means she suffers itching, delirium and even coughs up blood if she eats certain foods.

Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in many plants, including many fruits and vegetables.

In high enough doses they are harmful to anyone, however most people can handle a certain amounts of salicylate in food.

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When Charlotte ate a pear with its peel on she was rushed to hospital itching and coughing up blood

But those with an intolerance often can't stomach even small amounts of salicylate in their diets.

The mother-of-onehas been hospitalised on several occasions after eating food such as tomatoes and pears.

When she ate a pear, she was rushed to hospital itching and coughing up blood.After she ate some spices, her throat swelled up so much she could not breathe.

SENSITIVE TO SALICYLATES

Salicylates are chemicals found naturally in plants and in many pain relief medication such as aspirin.

Sensitivity is rare and the severity of symptoms varies from person to person.

These include headaches, an itchy skin rash, stomach pain, wheezing and trouble breathing.

In severe cases it can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction than can cause loss of consciousness and organ failure.

There is no cure and prevention is the best form of treatment by avoiding certain foods.

Fruit with high levels of salicylates include apricots, avocados, blackberries, oranges, pineapples, plums, raisins and strawberries. Pears contain moderate levels if unpeeled and low levels if peeled. Vegetables with high levels include chillis, courgettes, gherkins, radishes and tomatoes.

Spices to avoid include cayenne, curry powder and dill.

Once after eating a tomato, Charlotte suffered from a severe headache, brought up blood and became delirious and disorientated.

The 25-year-old said: 'I've been hospitalised so many times because of my condition.I'm worried if I had a pear or spice again, it could kill me.'

Charlotte, who is mother to three-year-old Warren, was finally diagnosed with salicylate intolerance a few months ago.

She must now avoid a long list of foods to avoid includes shellfish, canned and smoked meats, all fruits except bananas, broccoli, cucumber, pie fillings, vegetable oil, yoghurt, jam, fruit drinks, fizzy drinks, table sauces such as ketchup, most herbs and spices, biscuits, sweets and custard.

She carries an EpiPen - a device containing a shot of adrenaline for emergency treatment.

Before her diagnosis, Charlotte often ate foods she was intolerant to and had to phone for an ambulance to rush her to hospital.

She now struggles to make meals for herself, knowing that many ingredients could be life-threatening.

Charlotte, from Hull, said: 'It started when I was younger and my mum says as a baby I would projectile vomit.

'She had to keep changing my milk to find something I could have. Then as a child, I seemed to be okay, until I was about 15.